1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in an aspirator tip for use with an electrosurgical instrument and more particularly, to an aspirator tip that is adjustable and disposable.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Surgical electrocautery instruments for performing surgery with simultaneous hemostasis are well known in the art. Many electrocautery handpieces have a built-in integral vacuum channel or conduit passing therethrough wherein the vacuum channel, used for aspiration, commonly becomes fouled with bits of tissue that readily adhere to the walls of the vacuum tubing and/or aspiration tip. Nevertheless, since it is usually desirable to have a suction port close to the tissue being cut and cauterized in order to remove the tissue, rubble, blood, smoke and the like that are present at the electrocautery site such handpieces having integral vacuum channels are necessarily disposable. Also, none of these provide suction which actually surrounds the cutting or cautery blade to provide the most efficient use of such when needed.
Weber, Jr., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,720, describes a cautery handpiece with a retractable blade and a vacuum channel integral with the handle. When the blade (which is moveable) is retracted, it is cleaned by scraping against a slot in the handpiece and in this blade-retraced position, the handpiece becomes a vacuum wand. The Weber device must be discarded after use because the vacuum channel cannot be readily cleaned.
Johnson, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,914, describes a handpiece that has an integral vacuum channel that has an attachment which, though structurally very different, performs a function similar to the present invention. Johnson's handpiece has an integral vacuum channel with holes near the distal tip close to the base of the electrocautery needle. A retractable sleeve can be placed over the tip of Johnson's handpiece to conduct the vacuum adjustably near the tip of the electrocautery needle. The retractable sleeve is particularly useful for removing smoke. While the tip can be easily disposed of, the integral vacuum channel cannot be cleaned without undo difficulty and the handpiece must be discarded after use.
The prior art is exemplified by these patents. All the electrocautery instruments now in use in surgery have certain similarities and certain deficiencies in design. All instruments of this type have an electrode for high frequency electrocoagulation. Likewise, most instruments of this type have a tube associated with the blade to either supply a liquid to the surgical site or aspirate blood, irrigating fluid or air and/or smoke away from the site. None of the foregoing devices are capable of reuse. All of the foregoing devices have vacuum channels integral with their handle which makes it difficult and costly to clean. All are generally regarded as disposable. It is, therefore, a desirable object of this invention to provide a handpiece which can be reused and to which a disposable aspiration tip and tubing can be readily attached.